Open Book(s): Observations / curated by Joe Amrhein of PIEROGI Flat Files at Mana Contemporary, Jersey City

      2026: April 18 - Sept 1  -- EXTENDED, HELD OVER  / The exhibition will be open to the public Thur, Fri, Sat 11am–5pm

      Visits arranged other days by emailing:  hello@manacontemporary.com  888 Newark Ave  Jersey City, NJ 07306

      accessible by Path train, Journal Square or by car, on site parking

Open Book(s) - an ongoing exhibition hosted by Monira Foundation at Mana Contemporary, works by twenty-five artists who present books as objects in transformation; some sculpted or painted, some sketch books, others depictions of a place and time.

including work by:

Seongmin AHN, Noriko AMBE, Michael BALLOU, Dawn CLEMENTS, Brian CONLEY, Hugo CROSTHWAITE, Ri DYM, Ellen HARVEY, Moses HOSKINS, Kristen JENSEN, Kim JONES, Sean MELLYN, Marilla PALMER, William POWHIDA, Mike RADER, Mark REYNOLDS, David SCHER, Guy RICHARDS SMIT, Tim SPELIOS, Oriane STENDER, Tavares STRACHAN, Jude TALLICHET, David WELLS, Charmaine WHEATLEY, Martin WILNER

*****

Although as a visual fine artist he was thoroughly conditioned in figurative rendering, Moses E Hoskins has worked abstractly since the mid 80's.

Moses was born in Iowa in 1953 where he spent his youth and some time as an adult. / He was publicly schooled followed by a post-secondary education consisting of sporadic stints at a few colleges in the American Midwest. (-Way different then being in one's 20's in the 70's than now, being in one's 70's in the 20's.) - Eventually, a full decade out of hi-skool, he did finally earn a BFA in 1981 at the University of Iowa School of Art and Art History (Iowa City) where mainly he drew naked people and was a janitor at night. This was to be the final foray into what is considered Formal Education. He did not attend Graduate School anywhere..  

In 1988 Hoskins finally got around to fleeing to New York City as a better place, ostensibly, to not amount to anything - where they informed him that Houston St. is pronounced 'Howston' and that 'regular' is with milk & 2 sugars. / He continues there - living, working and showing his artwork wherever they will have it.  / He exhibited regularly at OK Harris on West Broadway from 2000 until the gallery closed in 2014, the end of an era.

Despite multiple grants from the foundations Pollock-Krasner and Adolph & Esther Gottlieb in evident support of his quixotic efforts in painting, drawing & collage media - and even after a residency at Yaddo, Hoskins remains acutely aware that any Big Deal Career is unlikely to ever be. /  He has never been naive regarding byzantine artworld Political Machinery...

Currently Hoskins' work is included in White Columns Artist Registry, New York - and Robischon Gallery in Denver has a selection of his paintings in their inventory.

I'll say goodbye to all my sorrow

And by tomorrow I'll be on my way

I guess the Lord must be in New York City

I'm so tired of gettin' nowhere

Seein' my prayers goin' unanswered

I guess the Lord must be in New York City

Well, here I am, Lord, knockin' at your back door

Ain't it wonderful to be

Where I've always wanted to be?

For the first time I'll breathe free, here in New York City

Say goodbye to all my sorrow

And by tomorrow I'll be on my way

I guess the Lord must be in New York City

So tired of gettin' nowhere

Seein' my prayers goin' unanswered

I guess the Lord must be in New York City

Well, here I am, Lord, knockin' at your back door

Ain't it wonderful to be

Where I've always wanted to be?

For the first time I'll breathe free, here in New York City

Oh-ohh

Oh-oh, oh-oh

I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City   /   Harry Nilsson ‧ 1969

another untitled insipid diptych (this one is REVERSIBLE) / constructed from found paper pieces / 22x 31.5 inches, >  2026

untitled diptych / oil on canvas,  28x 40.5 inches , 2026